School Psychologist – Dorrigo High School in Newcastle

Full Time: 1.0 FTE (Full time equivalent) Location: Dorrigo High School

School psychologists are an essential part of the Department’s school counselling service and work in primary and high schools. They provide counselling and psychological assessment of students, to complement and enhance the work of teachers to strengthen student learning and wellbeing outcomes, and help families understand and manage their children’s learning and mental health needs. This is a truly collegiate role offering unique challenges and opportunities – both in your professional development and your ability to make an impact on the lives of children and young people.

The successful candidate will be based at Dorrigo High School and provided with opportunities to work across the lifespan with both primary and high school aged students. Working in a NSW public school will enable you to engage with a diversity of students (and school communities) like no other child and adolescent psychologist role can. This is a chance to use your skills to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people at a time in their lives when it matters most.

School psychologists receive individual professional supervision with the Senior Psychologist Education and participate in group and peer supervision as a member of the broader school counselling team. You will most likely be collaborating with a number of school communities and colleagues, as well as outside agencies, with the opportunity to use and expand the full range of your skills and expertise as part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team. School psychologists are provided with opportunities to participate in continuing professional development and the NSW Department of Education will support you to complete or maintain your registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Other benefits include access to a range of leave types, including recreation leave and flex leave, as well as leave loading, travel allowances and health and wellbeing benefits such as our Fitness Passport program. The department will also cover your indemnity insurance as a psychologist while working in our schools.

Dorrigo High School is a comprehensive Years 7–12 school with an enrolment of 117 students, including 15% from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and 13% from non-English speaking backgrounds. Located on the scenic Dorrigo Plateau in a vibrant rural township, with Dorrigo National Park on our doorstep, we pride ourselves on a strong tradition of academic achievement and a broad curriculum. Our learning community is shaped by high expectations and guided by our values of respect, responsibility, and resilience. In our first year of embedding the Resilience In Our Teens and Respectful Relationships Education programs, we are strengthening our student wellbeing supports, fostering a positive, inclusive environment for all. The success of our school relies on teamwork and developing productive links with all members of our community. Our strategic directions include engaged learning, leading collective efficacy, and supporting the delivery of quality teaching and learning in every classroom, ensuring that every student is supported to achieve and thrive.

Key Accountabilities

• Provides counselling and psychological services to students, individually and in groups, including appropriate short term therapeutic interventions undertaken within the constraints of their training, experience and supervision.
• Engages with and implements the procedures of the Professional Practice Framework for the NSW School Counselling Service.
• Works in consultation with the principal, school executive, staff and student support services to improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes and implement current departmental priorities.
• Contributes to the social, emotional, and academic development of students, and supports schools and students with complex behavioural needs.
• Administers cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural assessment of students, reports on the results of assessments and interventions and collaborates to improve learning, wellbeing and mental health outcomes.
• Works collaboratively with learning and support teams, parents and carers, and other agencies, to develop appropriate school based support for students.
• Responds as part of a team to assist schools experiencing serious incidents.
• Refers students and/or their families and carers to other agencies that will support the development of student health and wellbeing outcomes.

Essential Requirements

• Knowledge of and commitment to the Department’s Aboriginal Education Policy, Partnership Agreement with the NSW AECG Inc. and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy.
• General or Provisional Psychology Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Valid and current Working with Children Check clearance – WWCC must be NSW.
• Current and valid driver’s licence and ability and willingness to travel between work sites. Must have a valid unrestricted provisional or full driver’s licence with the ability to drive oneself.
• Australian citizenship or permanent residency.

Applicants seeking either permanent full time or permanent part time employment are encouraged to apply for this position. If the recommended applicant is seeking permanent part time employment (FTE from 0.1 to 0.9 inclusive), they will be offered an appointment at their desired FTE.

Total Remuneration Package

Package valued up to $187,933 + incentives (where applicable). Base salary ranges from $104,156 - $165,812 plus leave loading and employer's contribution to superannuation. Base salary rates above the minimum are available dependent on professional experience.

About the NSW Department of Education

The Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population. We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, neurodiverse people and people with disability.